HumidCity

by New Orleans City Council Member Shelly Midura syndicated, from an open email
I wanted to honor the life and passing of one of my district’s neighborhood activists, Professor Ashley Morris, who we lost to an early passing yesterday morning. He was a friend to my office and a champion of his neighborhood. More than almost anything though, he was a fierce lover of New Orleans. He spent much of his time during the week teaching at an out-of-town university, yet he had no desire to move there. He preferred to commute.

To Chicago. From New Orleans.

Why would he do that? Why do so many others in our city do such things? I believe it was because Professor Morris wanted to be able to tell people, “I’m from New Orleans.” He wanted people to know that New Orleans was his home and that this truth was not only conscious and deliberate, but perhaps also something fated. He seemed to believe that New Orleans chose him as much as he chose us, as if it were some quantum entanglement that could not be logically explained or rationalized. It was a matter of the heart and knowing in the bottom of your soul exactly where you belong. It was a deep yearning for a city he loved, cherished, and felt gratitude and appreciation towards every day, despite the challenges and the ups and downs of post-Katrina life.

On his blog only a couple months ago, he wrote about going out to lunch with his friend Ray to Willie Mae’s and grabbing take-out there and how “There on the stoop, we tore into a whole fried chicken, macaroni and cheese casserole, mixed greens, and candied yams that tasted more like bread pudding. An excellent meal, as you can see… anywhere else, we’d be having lunch. Here in New Orleans, we were having a world class meal. For lunch.” Ashley knew that any moment in New Orleans was unlike any moment anywhere else in the world, that typical days here are not typical days anywhere else on this planet, and that being a New Orleanian, especially now, comes with a special badge of honor.

And so I honor my fellow New Orleanian, Professor Ashley Morris. He will be so dearly missed by so many, of whom I am only one. New Orleans aches for him today and wishes his wife, young children, family, and loved ones its heartfelt condolences.

Shelly Midura vs. Cynthia Hedge Morrell the fight of the minute!

So tell me if you’ve heard this one: The city council goes on retreat…

“I don’t buy it, Cynthia!” Midura shouted from her chair. “It’s to cover your political backside and I don’t believe you!”

Hedge-Morrell, who by now had risen from her chair and was standing over Midura, shouted back, “You think you’re Miss Goody Two Shoes,” her voice rising and face tightening, “and you sit there on your damn high horse!”

Ah professionalism, you’ve got to love it! The whole story is here on nola.com, be sure to read the comments. A few excerpts from the vox populi response:

NOLALARRY: A divided City Council, rotten DA office, Choc City Mayor that is M.I.A., Police force that can’t keep up with crime,…. what a dysfunctional mess.

1NOLANATIVE: You all miss the point. They were in a retreat. NONE of what was discussed during the retreat should have made it out of the hotel room, let alone into the newspaper. A retreat is supposed to be a place where you can vent, argue, cuss - whatever it takes - to get the tension and skeletons off their chests IN PRIVATE.
They’re going to argue. But, it should not have been made public.

MINDS: A retreat — how riduculous — what does that mean — we drink and then we tell each other you stink! How riduculous. I hope she went home to do something better than that! Get these fools on video. We want to see how you act in private. Have you got a different face?

I got this from mominem, not sure of the sourcing as yet, but it made me stand up and cheer!

Dear Mr. Jordan:

I am writing to you today to respectfully request that you resign from the office of Orleans Parish District Attorney.

I have no doubts about your intentions or your dedication or your character.  By all accounts you are a fine man.  But the job of District Attorney is an admittedly difficult one with heavy responsibility and requires more than most fine men are capable of.  After the events of the last 48 hours, which have eroded the public’s confidence in your ability to carry out the responsibilities of the District Attorney, I am asking that you resign from office.  An elected official’s legitimacy and moral authority to govern is derived from the consent of the governed.  I no longer believe you have the consent and support from the public required to perform your duties adequately.

I do not know that there is any excuse for dropping charges against a quintuple murderer without a thorough exhaustion of all possibilities to prevent such a thing from happening.  Months ago you and Superintendent Riley pledged to the City Council several reforms and improvements in your lines of communication to ensure that lack of coordination between your offices would no longer lead to dropped cases against those who pose serious threats to our public safety.  It has become all too clear that you have been unable to hold up your end of this bargain.  Mr. Jordan, you must know as well as any of your fellow New Orleanians the great urgency our city feels in combating the violent crime problem.  We have lost the room for these kinds of error.  I thank you for your service and your efforts as District Attorney, yet I maintain my request on behalf of my constituents that you resign your office as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Shelley Midura

cc:        Mayor C. Ray Nagin

New Orleans City Council